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Original poster

Silent reflux and Omeprazole

9 replies

FirstBaba · 20/12/2022 21:06

Apologies if this post has been done to the death... I am very sleep deprived and my head is starting to spin from all the googling.

My LO is 9 wks old. He is EBF and has silent reflux. We tried infant Gaviscon to no avail and the GP has prescribed Omeprazole today. Despite the fact it is exceptionally hard to get into him because it is 'gritty' we gave him his first dose tonight

I'm really hoping that some of you on here can share your experiences with Omeprazole. Did it work? How long did it take and when did you begin to wean off it again? Also keen to hear of any negative side effects as I absolutely hate the fact he's having medication so young . Thank you in advance

OP posts:
ChaseTheSun · 20/12/2022 21:13

Hi, yes my DD has been on Omeprazole for reflux. We have been very lucky and been prescribed the liquid version as we couldn’t get the powdered version into her. I understand that this is like gold dust though!

It definitely helps her although it will be 2-4 weeks until you start to see any benefits. We have tried various times to wean her off it, which can be successful for a month or 2 but she will then start aspirating and refluxing and has to go back onto it.

She is under the care of 2 consultants and neither seem concerned about this so I wouldn’t worry about your little one having it. We haven’t had any negative side effects and have only positive things to say about it as it relieved the pain she was in.

Original poster
FirstBaba · 20/12/2022 21:25

ChaseTheSun · 20/12/2022 21:13

Hi, yes my DD has been on Omeprazole for reflux. We have been very lucky and been prescribed the liquid version as we couldn’t get the powdered version into her. I understand that this is like gold dust though!

It definitely helps her although it will be 2-4 weeks until you start to see any benefits. We have tried various times to wean her off it, which can be successful for a month or 2 but she will then start aspirating and refluxing and has to go back onto it.

She is under the care of 2 consultants and neither seem concerned about this so I wouldn’t worry about your little one having it. We haven’t had any negative side effects and have only positive things to say about it as it relieved the pain she was in.

Thank you for your reply! This is good to hear. I'm a bit gutted that it can take so long to have an effect but I suppose at least there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Can I ask how old your DD is and how long she has been on it?
I have no chance of getting the liquid suspension due to the cost - my GP is exceptionally savy when it comes to spending nhs money!

OP posts:
Timeforsinging81 · 20/12/2022 23:11

I had 2 reflux babies; one was given ranitidine and one omeprazole. Despite the faff of preparing the omeprazole it was far more effective for the reflux. My babies were on reflux meds from 3/4 weeks old up until about 9 or 10 months each. I initially had the same concerns about giving meds to such tiny babies but the difference it made to their symptoms and feeding was worth it!

ChaseTheSun · 21/12/2022 07:56

I think we got really lucky when I saw a different GP and mentioned that we couldn’t get the tablet form into her. She was also on a special milk powder at the time too and so I think the GP might have taken pity on us!

She started on it when she was about 4 months old and has now just turned 3. We have tried weaning her off it numerous times but each time her symptoms flare up again after a while and she has to go back onto it.

It is good stuff so persevere with it and you will see the benefits eventually!

Bronte38 · 21/12/2022 16:49

My ds is now 3 years old and was on Omeprazole for silent reflux from 8 weeks of age until just after he turned 1 year old. We found a great difference within a week of starting it. Just remember to revisit your GP as the dosage may need to be increased as your baby gains weight. We didn't see any side effects at the time, nor since. Hopefully there never will be. FWIW, I always found the faff of dissolving the tablets actually more effective than the prepared suspensions. Often the suspension can have a short shelf life, and I used to find as we got through the bottle, it had less effect. I have a few friends who felt the exact same. Weird but there ya go. Also, we gave it in the mornings, on the emptiest stomach possible in a baby so young half an hour before the morning feed. That also helped increase the effect. Hope this helps.

Original poster
FirstBaba · 24/12/2022 18:52

@Timeforsinging81 @Bronte38 thank you both for sharing. I'm at my wits end and so emotional seeing him so miserable. We've been on Omeprazole for 4 days now and extremely unsettled baby. He is very drowsy and appears to be having constan tummy pain. I've read these are common side effects and should disappear within two weeks when he gets used to the meds.
Did either of you have this experience? I absolutely hate thought of causing him this distress for another week
He also gags horribly on the 'grit' and had a bad choking episode today

OP posts:
Original poster
FirstBaba · 24/12/2022 18:55

@ChaseTheSun I'm glad it has been a success for your LO. You mentioned your LO is under the care of consultants, if you don't mind me asking does this mean she has a diagnosis other than acid reflux? I don't mean to pry I'm just trying to understand what this all could mean

OP posts:
ChaseTheSun · 25/12/2022 22:21

FirstBaba · 24/12/2022 18:55

@ChaseTheSun I'm glad it has been a success for your LO. You mentioned your LO is under the care of consultants, if you don't mind me asking does this mean she has a diagnosis other than acid reflux? I don't mean to pry I'm just trying to understand what this all could mean

Hi, Happy Christmas! Yes, my DD was diagnosed with reflux initially but has since been diagnosed as having aspiration aswell. She has seen 2 consultants at various appointments and neither are concerned with her being on Omeprazole.

I remember the time when she was little and was constantly unsettled and it was so tough, to the point that some nights we would only get a couple of hours of broken sleep.

Just a thought but is your LO on formula? Ours was and we were also referred to a dietitian who prescribed a special prescription formula as she also had CMPA which was also causing a lot of the discomfort.

Trust your instincts and if you feel that something isn’t right, keep telling them as they will try and dismiss you. Unfortunately it is a bit of trial and error but you will find a solution that works and it will get better!

StarsandStones · 25/12/2022 22:30

Checked for tongue tie? And for allergies?

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